"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Dududududu
The kids are restless
Dududududu
They just need something to do
Dududududu
From Illford to Ladywell
The streets have become cruel
He said, I will not listen and I won't be told
England is mine I will take what I want
He said, I will not listen and I won't be told
We will row, these satanic mills
dududududu
They stood on his fingers
Dududududu
Kicked the back of his head like a ball
Dududududu
They filmed the beating
On they're mobile phones
She said, I will not listen and I won't be told
England is mine won't take what I want
She said, I will not listen and I won't be told
We will make, up our own rules
I'm waiting for something cruel x8
To happen
The kids are restless
Dududududu
They just need something to do
Dududududu
From Illford to Ladywell
The streets have become cruel
He said, I will not listen and I won't be told
England is mine I will take what I want
He said, I will not listen and I won't be told
We will row, these satanic mills
dududududu
They stood on his fingers
Dududududu
Kicked the back of his head like a ball
Dududududu
They filmed the beating
On they're mobile phones
She said, I will not listen and I won't be told
England is mine won't take what I want
She said, I will not listen and I won't be told
We will make, up our own rules
I'm waiting for something cruel x8
To happen
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Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Head > Heels
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Head > Heels” is a track that aims to capture what it feels like to experience romance that exceeds expectations. Ed Sheeran dedicates his album outro to a lover who has blessed him with a unique experience that he seeks to describe through the song’s nuanced lyrics.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I think this one's about being afraid of youth culture today, with happy slapping etc. The 2nd verse is about the gay barman who was beaten to death by a gang in London around a year ago. Such a beautiful song.
this is too good to be a b-side
yeah i feel the same about a couple of their other b-sides, too good to be b.
I think the second verse is about Kele's cousin who was beaten to death by some happy slapping people. Read that in an reliable magazine.
From Ilford to Ladywell (the bus kele caught to go to school) this is about abviously bullys/streets these days
I think this one's about being afraid of youth culture today, with happy slapping etc. The 2nd verse is about the gay barman who was beaten to death by a gang in London around a year ago. Such a beautiful song.
yeah i saw that in an interveiw thats right =[ damm awful things happen these days
This is like the song of the day for me - me and 3 16 year old friends were savaged last night because we didnt want to give a bunch of chavs our ball. Let's all do "a Kele" and quit this shit heap country.
yeah I think the meaning is spot on, and I think its something most people can relate to, basicly chavs. Things just seem to be getting worse too. But its one of my fav bloc party songs, they all are amazing tho!
this song is far too amazing. the music is beautiful. it nearly made me cry. i love how there's just so much more beyond the lyrics and music with bloc party. no other band right now could do a song like this. and if they did, i doubt they'd carry it off.
In an Observer interview, Kele said he was sick of violence, particuarly racially and homophobically motivated and fears something's going to happen to him - he said he used to get abuse when he hung out with his white female housemate because they were presumed to be a mixed race couple. He's highlighting that this element is still present in England. The waiting for something cruel to happen is him thinking it's going to happen to him, it's just a matter of time.
It wasn't actually his cousin who was killed - it was the son of his mother's best friend who he referred to as being like a cousin, I think anyway.